Eurostar appoints new culinary director

LONDON, October 31, 2012, 8:53 am -- /EPR NETWORK/ -- Eurostar has proudly announced the appointment of world
renowned Michelin starred chef, Raymond Blanc as its Culinary Director.
The exciting new gastronomic partnership will see Raymond share his
passion for promoting the very best in sustainable and seasonal food
with Eurostar’s Business Premier passengers.

The announcement is supported by new research* which reveals that despite the
prevailing economic downturn, nearly two thirds (63%) of business travellers have
either maintained or even increased their level of business travel in the past 12
months.

While it's good news that the wheels of British business are still turning, it
appears it's not such good news for business travellers themselves. The research
also highlighted that over a third (34%) rated the quality of the meals they were
served when travelling for business as below average.

When questioned further, these same travellers stressed the importance of good food
and service on-board alongside more traditional considerations such as price and
journey time. Two thirds (66%) highlighted the importance of eating sustainably
sourced, seasonal and organic food, while over a third (35%) revealed that
presentation of food was an important factor.

With these considerations in mind, Raymond Blanc is collaborating closely with
Eurostar's catering suppliers to help transform travellers' perceptions of
on-board catering. As a result of his on-going direction and work with Eurostar's
suppliers in Belgium, the UK and France, his new and exclusive Business Premier
menus have been created to be innovative, seasonal and sustainable and feature
several Blanc family recipes such as mackerel salad and chocolate delice with
praline custard.

Raymond’s creative input has seen a renewed focus on locally sourced and sustainably
produced ingredients of a local provenance. The resulting menus combine rustic,
traditional dishes with a fresh, modern element of surprise.

Commenting on his appointment, Raymond Blanc said: "As a chef, I'm always
searching for the purest ingredients, striving to ensure that everything I use is
traceable and responsibly sourced. I'm delighted to work with Eurostar which shares
these same values and was the first transport provider to join the Sustainable
Restaurant Association. Together we're working to change the perception of on-board
cuisine and serving sustainable and locally sourced food which is at the heart of
our new Business Premier menus."

The YouGov research also uncovered some of the 'guilty pleasures' business
travellers enjoy whilst travelling on business. These include snoozing on company
time, using their headphones to drown out fellow passengers and getting stuck into
complimentary magazines that they would never normally buy.

- Ends -

Notes to Editors:
*Online survey by YouGov based on sample of over 1,000 business travellers aged 18
and above living in the UK. Fieldwork: 11 October - 15 October 2012

About Eurostar
Eurostar is the high-speed train service offering travellers from St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International a convenient way of getting to the Alps, enjoying Disneyland Paris, Amsterdam city breaks and Lille city breaks.

Eurostar was established in 1994 as a partnership between three railway companies: SNCF, SNCB and LCR (London and Continental Railways). On 1 September 2010, Eurostar became a single, unified corporate entity owned by three shareholders: SNCF, SNCB and LCR.

The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph. Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 115 million passengers between London and the Continent. Following their refurbishment these trains will continue to form a core part of the Eurostar fleet.